Jimmy Jane

Jimmy Jane ©

Prologue (1956)

Jane's P.O.V

I stand across from Timmy, my hands laced in between his fingers, his rough skin on the palm of his hands rub against my soft manicured skin. A soft breeze blows over the dense forest in which we stand, our favourite spot, just a mile out of town and at the back of the old WoodMens Park. Well it used to be a park but now the nature reserve lets its forest grow into the park, but it doesn’t mind us, we played here when we were children, playing hide and seek and duck duck goose. In a way I guess we are still children, in our hearts but on the outside I am eighteen and Timmy is twenty, the age gap has never minded us.

I look over him, his tanned skin and light brown hair shines in the afternoon sunlight, making him all the more gorgeous. His jeans that fit him perfectly and his black singlet with his light blue blouse flying open, showing a hint of his body. He is muscular, but not outrageously that you can tell he is a try hard, not that he is, he is just good at sport.

He called me here today and I want to know why, we have been going strong for the past three years, so he mustn’t be dumping me, but he has been having a hard time latterly, you see his older brother Michael was sent to war in Vietnam just two months ago, his number was called up, he saw a doctor, he had no medical problems, and he was on a plane within a week. Timmy didn’t take it that well, he hates the fact that people don’t have a choice in the matter, he wanted to volunteer for Michael, but Michael said it was his duty.

Finally, he pulls me into his body as a tear rolls down his cheek, I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him tightly, I burry my head into his chest.

“Don’t worry, Michael is safe, didn’t you say he wrote you a letter just before on the phone, calm down” I whisper, rubbing his back, the forest is the only place he cries, the only place he lets his guard down to me.

He sniffles” Jane, it’s not that” he pulls away from me and pulls me towards a giant old Oak that lies as a chair for us on the ground. He wraps an arm around me. “I have to tell you something, important and I want you to listen till I am done.”

I nod my head and look down at my denim short shorts and bright red halter neck.

“My number was called,” he breathes. My breath catches in my throat, my Timmy, the one and only Timmy, off to die and fight in Vietnam? no it can’t be.

I look wide eyed at him and he presses a finger to my lips.

“What,” I breathe, “Type of number, please just tell me it was the Friday night raffle down at the pub.”

Timmy’s blue eyes shine into mine, glistening with tears.

“No, Jane, I am going to Vietnam, to fight in the war, alongside my brother, I got the letter a few days ago, I have to do this there is no backing out now.” A sob catches in my throat as I cling to him; a silent tear runs down my cheek landing silently above his heart.

“I am so sorry Jane,” he whispers, turning his eyes away from mine.

I grab his chin making him look me in the eyes again. “It’s okay, we can sort this out, you don’t have to go, I have an uncle who is a doctor, he can say your unfit, that you have flat feet or are missing a part of your brain where you can’t follow orders, for Christ’s sake he can even say you are riddled with chicken pox!” I sob.

I know he won’t take it, but maybe the doctors will find something wrong with him, maybe the army won’t accept him, but Timmy is strong, and healthy, but still!

“I don’t have flat feet and my brain is fine” he sighs, wrapping his strong arms around my waist, while silent tears dry on my face, I will not cry, I will not cry in front of him, it will make him feel worse.